Song: “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’”

Bobby Hatfield asked producer Phil Spector what he should do while Bill Medley sang the verses of this song. Spector said, 'You can go straight to the (freaking) bank.' Uploaded by bbc.co.uk.

In 1964, The Righteous Brothers had released two singles, neither of which made it higher on the charts than number 49. Fortunately for their flagging career, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, and Phil Spector wrote this emotional song, and gave them the first opportunity to record it. It was “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” and it went to number one in both the US and the UK.

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The song features the now-famous “wall of sound” that became Spector’s trademark. Deep-voiced Bill Medley performed the lead, and partner Bobby Hatfield was miffed that he had nothing to do until the chorus. (He would later turn the tables with “Unchained Melody.”) Hatfield asked Spector what he was supposed to do while Medley sang, and Spector reportedly said, “You can go straight to the (freaking) bank.”

And he did. According to BMI, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” was the most-played song of the 20th century in the United States. It came in at number 34 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song went to number one for two weeks in February, 1965, right in the middle of the British invasion. Curious about what song knocked it from its perch? Would you believe “This Diamond Ring” by Gary Lewis and the Playboys…